Chips & Techs

They are awesome!
I say this because, at this point in my life, I make my living working from my laptop. I also spent the last six months teaching computer courses to seniors and that means I tell them how to avoid getting viruses on their computers. I KNOW not to download strange files or click on weird links. I’ve got an anti-​virus program that runs at a scheduled time every 24 hours. However, my laptop managed to get a nasty virus. I think of it as the same risk as driving a car or using an item that’s subject to wear and tear. You’re eventually going to get a fender bender or something is going to break. Well, it happened to me this past week.
I recognized the problem right away. The issue is I’m still very new to NYC, so I had no idea where to take it. I’d had a problem with the power chord a few weeks ago (it was worn after months of traveling and I needed a new one) but that place I got a replacement chord from didn’t open until 11am! Bad, bad call on their part because they’re missing a surge of people like me who are up and going before late morning. I went to their competition because an IT specialist recommended Chips & Techs to me earlier that morning.
I found the Chips & Tech number on my mobile and called. I described the problem I was having. The guy immediately knew what I was talking about and told me to stop using my computer. Good for me that the night before, I put it into safe mode as soon as I knew something was up and didn’t use it much when it started acting up. When I took it in he said he’d just fixed a computer with the same virus the day before. He told me it was a really nasty new Linux-​based virus.
Their fee was reasonable. I paid and left my dear laptop in their care. They were responsive and called me a couple of times during the day to give me an update.
The night before, I’d done my work for the day, so I wasn’t too stressed. After I turned it in, I just walked over to the mid-​Manhattan library to use the computers there to do my work for the next day. I know fixing this stuff takes time and the last thing I wanted to do was stress someone who is working on the item that basically pays my rent. Please, take your time and fix it right.
I called the next morning and my computer was ready. It was great. They made some changes and actually recommend that I do a clean reinstall. I probably will as there is just stuff on this that I don’t need. However, what could have been an agonizing situation ended up being just a minor annoyance.
I highly recommend these guys when you’re in a pinch and need people who are knowledgeable, not too expensive, easy to find and are professional.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you all the anti-​Radio Shack.
Instead of buying overpriced computer parts at the mega electronics stores, one can come here and pay only a fraction of the cost. It’s almost as if one of the street vendors decided to open up an electronics store and keep the cheapo prices without the haggling.
For awhile it wasn’t looking good for Chips & Techs. Their dodgy location on 35^th was closed for months and it seems their website business went completely offline. Now situated on 37^th St in a brand new space, the place looks better than ever. The layout is much easier and their stock of specific generic /​OEM parts seems to be of good abundance.
This is one of the only stores in which I was able to buy an eSATA cable. Most of the major electronics stores (Western Digital, Best Buy, etc.) didn’t even carry it, forcing me to look online where the cost averaged out to be $ 8.00. I managed to find a generic cable for $ 2.00 at Chips & Techs and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. I recommend calling ahead of time and doing an inventory check prior to any visit, they’re usually friendly and patient enough to help one find what they’re looking for. Give this place a try for all PC parts a la carte, they’re worth trying out.